


To Be Better

by Withstarryeyes



Series: Dad!Tony Stark [5]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Dad!Tony Stark, Gen, Heart Attack, Hurt Tony Stark, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark-centric, Whump, heart condition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-06 01:39:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11590341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withstarryeyes/pseuds/Withstarryeyes
Summary: Peter can’t breathe. He can’t catch his thoughts, lost in everything that's in front of him. He can’t see without the painful blur of tears blocking his way.They weren’t even in danger. They weren’t fighting villains or flying through the air or going after someone in a vengeful pattern.They were just eating and talking and all those distasteful domestic things Tony believed were good for Peter.





	To Be Better

Peter can’t breathe. He can’t catch his thoughts, lost in everything that's in front of him. He can’t see without the painful blur of tears blocking his way.

They weren’t even in danger. They weren’t fighting villains or flying through the air or going after someone in a vengeful pattern.

They were just _eating_ and _talking_ and all those distasteful domestic things Tony believed were good for Peter.

* * *

 

“You’re a teenager, live your teenage life,” Tony said when Peter rolled his eyes and called the dinner between Tony and Aunt May and him dumb.

“Says the guy that went to college when _he_ was a young teen.” Peter mumbled but dove into the mashed potatoes Tony had brought with them anyway

They were laughing, even. Peter was talking about Ned and their latest escapades. He told the story of when he got stuck in a pool, his suit caught on the pool filter as the purse hijacker jumped a fence into someone’s backyard. They’d been crying, really.  _That_ kind of story. 

* * *

 

Peter looks down at Tony, next to him with his eyes closed. He’s pale, too pale, pale like his Uncle’s face when Peter found him...dead. He shakes his head and takes his mentor’s hand. It’s cold, but he can _hear_ Tony’s heart beat through the thin hospital bed gown and he knows that it’ll warm. The chair cuts into Peter’s sides as he sits, curled into a little ball, a book dangling from one hand as he struggles to breathe against the evening’s events. His eyes are glassy. His face is empty. He’s a zombie that’s seen too much and has been pushed one too many times.

* * *

 

“P-peter, Peter!” Tony giggled, his face red, his eyes teary. “Only you, kid.”

Aunt May was snickering, her smirk hidden behind a hand as if it made Peter’s embarrassment any less.

“All in the line of duty,” Peter offered up because he wanted to get rid of the pocket of shame he could feel, he saluted, playing up the joke because he coped like that.

Then the fork fell, clattered on the hard wooden floor with a bang. The sound sent shivers up Peter’s arms and his eyes were drawn to Tony.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter asked, his voice cracking with fear. Goosebumps raised on his body as Tony paused for a bit before answering, clearing his throat.

“Excuse me, seems I’m a little clumsy tonight,” Tony sheepishly explained before bending down for the offensive silverware. He closed his eyes tight when he went back upright, sweat beading on his forehead. Hand flying to his chest, Tony wheezed in pain and Peter’s eyes went wide.

“Call 911,” He told Aunt May and her mouth was wide open, frozen.  “May!” She kickstarted into action.

“Peter, no, it’s not-” Tony wheezed again, his fingers digging into his t-shirt, “a big deal.”

Peter ignored him, taking his elbow and pulling him from his chair. Maneuvering them to the ground.

“P-peter I’m fine,” Tony said, his heartbeat was too fast, Peter could tell.

“Don’t,” he drew in a shaky breath, “don’t make me lose someone else, okay? You’re not okay, your heart is, y-your heart is, Mr. Stark just don’t.”

Tony quieted down then, a little relieved to not have to pretend anymore. But he took Peter’s hand anyway and whispered, “I’ll be okay,” before passing out, his heart going into v-fib. The paramedics arrived soon after. Peter was numb as Aunt May drove over, talking and talking and talking to try and fill up the uncertainty that had ripped a hole into Peter. 

* * *

 

Eyes fluttering open, Tony jerks up, his eyes flying open. Peter’s gazing over him, over his body into the wall. He looks lost. Tony can see the tear tracks running down the kid’s cheeks. His chest hurts like, hell, like the cave and Tony draws in a tight breath.

“You had a heart attack,” Peter says, monotone. Tony puts a hand on his leg.

Fumbling with his IV, Tony considers what to say. What can he? That’s he sorry? That he’s not going to live forever? That he’s a time bomb waiting to happen? He wonders briefly if he can pull out now, abandon Peter like Harvey and leave him to not get attached.

But no, Peter’s hurt because Tony almost _died_. They’re already attached too close for comfort and there’s nothing Tony can do now.

“I didn’t die,” Tony mumbles, Peter turns an icy glare on him.

“You didn’t want my help. What was your plan? To turn into a corpse on my kitchen floor and let me watch yet another person die. I’m cursed,” Peter sobs. “Everyone around me, everyone I love, they die. A-and you, “ Peter doesn’t make any sense anymore. His words are too garbled by the tears, too lost in sorrow.

Tony takes the book from Peter’s hand and pulls back his blanket. Peter curls onto the bed, burying his face in Tony’s shoulder. “I’m not hugging you, I’m just adjusting my morphine drip,” Tony jokes and Peter’s laugh is pitiful back but at least he’s laughing.

Tony rubs circles over Peter’s back as he cries, they die down pretty soon and Peter flips back over, still close to Tony. His eyes are swollen and puffy.

“Peter?” Peter turns to look at him and damn the kid still seems to think that Tony is God and his word is holy. “When I told you to be better than me I meant things like this. Hiding things, being emotionally stunted, not being good enough to own up to the suit.”

Peter looks like he wants to launch into a very detailed list as to why Tony’s the best person in the world but Tony cuts him off with a wave, “But, you _are_ better than me. You’ve shown me that.”

Peter nods, as if he’s been knighted, “Thank you,” he whispers and goes back to curling into Tony’s side. “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

_Any time, kid._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! As always if you like these Dad!Tony fics please leave a kudos or comment. If you have any suggestions for future parts feel free to bring them to my attention and I'll add them to my ideas list :)


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